Kenyan Woman Caught Smuggling Narcotics Worth Millions in India

Indian authorities have arrested a 43-year-old Kenyan woman, Emily Rodha, at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai for allegedly smuggling a large consignment of illegal drugs into the country.

Rodha, who had arrived from Nairobi via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight on Tuesday, April 1, was intercepted by customs officials based on intelligence reports and targeted profiling. Upon a thorough inspection of her luggage, officers discovered four packets of a white powdery substance concealed within a hidden compartment of her trolley bag.

According to the Times of India, the seized narcotics weighed approximately 1,789 grams and had an estimated street value of Rs 15 to 20 crores (around KSh 300,000), depending on the quality.

Rodha was immediately taken into custody under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, which imposes severe penalties on drug trafficking offenses in India.

During questioning, Rodha reportedly confessed to acting as a courier for a larger drug syndicate. She disclosed that she had received the illicit package from another woman in Nairobi, who promised her a payment of KSh 100,000 upon successfully delivering it to an associate in Delhi. However, she declined to reveal the identities of the key figures orchestrating the smuggling operation.

Authorities are now conducting further investigations into Rodha’s travel history to determine if she has been involved in previous drug trafficking incidents. Law enforcement agencies are also exploring her potential connections to a broader international drug network operating across multiple borders.

This arrest highlights the growing concern over drug trafficking routes between Africa and Asia, prompting increased surveillance and stricter enforcement measures at international airports.